Mayors across the US are pushing back against a surge in data centers as concerns grow about pollution, strained power grids, and water use ahead of the midterm elections, AFP reported.
The White House convened big tech firms this month and President Donald Trump promoted a non-binding Ratepayer Protection Pledge to shift electricity costs from consumers to data centers, AFP reported.
AFP reported that xAI has run at least 18 methane gas turbines at a South Memphis site – sometimes operating without permits – and has been accused of pumping out pollutants in predominantly Black neighborhoods and that a Mississippi regulator approved gas generators at a site in Mississippi despite local opposition.
Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Amazon are expanding data center networks nationwide and mayors including Kate Gallego, mayor of Phoenix, and Larry Klein, mayor of Sunnyvale, say communities are often blindsided by non-disclosure agreements and new transmission infrastructure.
Arizona Public Service said that if all pending data center projects in its service area were approved, electricity demand would reach about 19,000 megawatts – more than double the grid’s record peak, AFP reported.
An NBC News poll this month found 57% of registered voters said that AI’s risks outweighed its benefits, a statistic mayors cite as evidence of growing public unease, AFP reported.
Originally written by: Diya Lal
Source: Tech in Asia
Published on: 16 March 2026
Link to original article: US mayors push back against data center boom as AI concerns rise
